The Connecticut Senate passed a bill Tuesday evening that would delete the Wright brothers from history, explicitly stripping recognition for the first powered flight from Orville and Wilbur and assigning it to someone else.

The Governor shall proclaim a date certain in each year as Powered Flight Day to honor the first powered flight by [the Wright brothers] Gustave Whitehead and to commemorate the Connecticut aviation and aerospace industry, reads House Bill No. 6671, which now sits on the governors desk awaiting passage into law.

"Theres no question that the Wright brothers retain their place in aviation history," Republican state sen. Mike McLachlan told FoxNews.com. And rightfully so. They just weren't first." The governor is likely to sign the bill as early as next week, he said.

In March, aviation historian John Brown unveiled what he calls photographic proof that Whitehead flew over Connecticut in 1901, two years, four months, and three days before the Wright brothers.

"At least in Connecticut, aviation history now appears to have been rewritten, Brown told FoxNews.com Wednesday. I have no information about whether school books will be reprinted in time for the start of Fall classes.

It’s not a photograph. It’s a drawing. However Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft recognizes Whitehead and the Smithsonian has give the Wright Flyer back to the family if they say the Wrights weren’t first.

These weren't just people cheering the home team, he told FoxNews.com. Several legislators -- from both parties -- contacted me before the vote they'd clearly done their homework and asked hard-ball questions. It was refreshing for me to see how seriously they took their vote, Brown added.

I am sure in Russia there is photographic proof that the first power flight took place there. Addtionally has anyone checked with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong-Un? I am sure that they will wish to put forth their proofs that the first powered flight took place in their respective countries. ;-)

“The 1st light bulb was built by Humphry Davy (an Englishman) in 1809. Thomas Alva Edison improved the invention and based his improvements on a patent he purchased from inventors Henry Woodward & Matthew Evans who patented their bulb in 1875. “

Sketch allegedly based on a now lost photograph of the alleged Gustave Whitehead 1901 first flight.

Actual photograph of the Wright Brothers first flight.

I find it sufficiently surprising that anyone would fail to photograph as historic an event as an actual first controlled powered flight that I am not willing to accept the Whitehead claims. We know the Wrights did it - see the photos, see the video, see the numerous contemporary accounts - it happened.

24
posted on 06/05/2013 10:30:24 AM PDT
by Pollster1
("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)

Edison purchased patents from all sorts of inventors and then used them to put other inventors out of business. He also waged other disputes with other inventors (famously against Tesla over AC vs DC power).

Edison purchased Fergie Jenkins’ patent to keep film from flapping around in movie projectors (Jenkins did studies into how a flag flaps in the wind) and Jenkins later worked on early television and radiovision prototypes (television is actually what we know as cablevision). Radiovision was broadcast signal. Television was transmitted by wire and he had difficulty securing enough wire of significant grade to transmit a signal any sizable distance. He published a book on his efforts in the 1920s that included plans on how to build receivers so he could see how far his signals were being received.

Correct. Anyone who knows anything about aviation history knows that the first POWERED flight was by Alberto Santos Dumont who, along with his close friend Mr. Cartier, you can also thank for the wristwatch.

30
posted on 06/05/2013 10:33:19 AM PDT
by Clemenza
("History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil governm)

But do the history books still note that the telephone and light bulb were invented by brilliant Russian scientist?

Look how long it took history to give Nikola Tesla (who was Croatian) his due for inventing, perfecting and proving Alternating Current as a safe and EFFICIENT method of delivering electrical power to the masses.

Our family used to have a photo of my great grandfather Reeves Head, who made the first powered flight in Georgia in 1899. But we lost the photo

We do have a sketch of the old photo though...I just can't seem to locate it right at this momnet. But, if I put my mind to it, I know I can find it in a day or two, on old, properly dated, parched paper too.

Just let me get that and then the State of Georgia legislature can vote next month to dethrone Connecticut and Whitehead!

Edison was an insufferable prig! He paid boys to steal family’s pets, and electrocuted the pets to show how unsafe AC was. Even did in an elephant. He promised to pay Tesla for a job, then laughed at him when Tesla asked for the promised amount. Edison told him it was a joke, and that Tesla didn’t understand American humor!

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